#FEED's Tweetlantis

In March, I was one of two developers with Beak Labs who coded a real-time visualization of Twitter use during SXSW for #FEED, an exhibit presented by Samsung Mobile and Twitter at AMOA-Arthouse.

The installation, called Tweetlantis, involved a 20' projection of an imagined, subaqueous Austin. Glowing sea creatures represented top-trending Twitter hashtags coming from SXSW attendees; the fish changed in size and activity based on rising and falling trends. The virtual aquarium and its sidebar allowed viewers to instantly see what the 500,000 SXSW attendees were talking most about. Viewers could also interact with the installation by tweeting with the hashtag #FEEDtheFish, resulting in their Twitter username drifting from the top of the screen like fish food, to be eaten by a swarming school of fish. This feature was so popular that #FEEDtheFish ultimately became a top-trending hashtag from Twitter users at the festival, and was visible on the installation.

Status: BuiltLocation: Austin, TX, USMy Role: Assistant DeveloperAdditional Credits: This installation was coded by Louis Acresti and myself in Processing, using mobile and search analytics software from our partners Sonic Notify and Topsy. The project was lead by Lee Billington and Lisa Kaselak of Beak Labs. Artwork by Ryan Ayers.